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Palace Malice, Fortify, Nakano and Questing are among the names in the news

By BEN BAUGHbbaugh@aikenstandard,com

Feb 12 2013 11:29 pm

The connections of Dogwood Stable’s Palace Malice have opted to run in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds on Feb. 23 as they make their way on the Derby trail, rather than contesting the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on the same day. The bay colt will be making the second start of his sophomore campaign, having finished a strong second his last out, a 7-furlong allowance race at Gulfstream Park, over an off track. The $400,000 Risen Star Stakes will be contested at 1 1/16-mile at the Crescent City oval. Palace Malice was trained in Aiken by Legacy Stable’s Brad Stauffer and Ron Stevens.

“It’s close to a tossup between the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth that day at Gulfstream Park, but we can get Rosie Napravnik in New Orleans,” said W. Cothran Campbell, Dogwood Stable president in a press release. “Our horse is an easy shipper, and he’s been training easily for Todd Pletcher since his good 2013 debut. We are looking for ground and both races are at a mile-and-a-sixteenth. Like everyone else, we are hunting points, and New Orleans looks like the better place to get some.”

Palace Malice was the first U.S. winner of 2-time Horse of the Year Curlin, is out of the stakes winning Royal Anthem mare Palace Rumor, and is conditioned by 5-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Todd Pletcher. The colt has been ridden by Javier Castellano in his three previous starts. The Risen Star will be Palace Malice’s first stakes start, the second of his sophomore campaign, and the fourth of his career.

“We think we’ve got a good one, but we’ll find that out pretty quick now,” said Campbell.

Godolphin Racing, LLC’s Fortify has been entered in Thursday’s Group 3, $250,000 UAE 2000 Guineas at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. The son of Grade 2 winner Distorted Humor, will be making his fifth start, breaking his maiden at first asking, and following that performance with a second place effort in the Grade 2 Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes, third place finish in the Grade 1 Foxwoods Champagne Stakes, and he ran fourth in his final start of his two-year-old campaign the Grade 1 Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Fortify was broken and trained in Aiken by Tim Jones. The dark bay colt was trained in the United States by Kiaran McLaughlin, and is now being conditioned by Saeed bin Suroor. This will be Fortify’s first start on a synthetic surface.

Thoroughbred Futures Racing’s Nakano placed third in the 6 1/2-furlong Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie Stakes Sunday at Gulfstream Park. The 5-year-old daughter of Grade 1 winner First Samurai is conditioned by Marty Wolfson. The bay mare was broken and trained by Tim and Cary Frommer. Nakano has finished in the money in 9 of her last 10 starts, and has earned $188,252.

Godolphin Racing, LLC’s Questing (GB), the 2012 Eclipse Award winning outstanding 3-year-old Filly has been retired from racing. The daughter of Hard Spun won the third jewel of the New York Racing Association’s Triple Tiara, the Coaching Club American Oaks, and the Grade 1 Alabama during her sophomore campaign. She will be bred to Darley stallion Bernardini, according to the Daily Racing Form.

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